The Pentagon has released a trove of declassified documents detailing reported UFO sightings by civilians and astronauts, including those on the Moon. The 161 files, made public at the direction of President Donald Trump, include transcripts from the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 17 missions, as well as reports from individuals who claim to have witnessed unidentified flying objects.
The documents, spanning decades, were posted online on Friday and include descriptions of hovering objects, flashing lights, and other unexplained phenomena. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Alan Bean are among those who reported seeing inexplicable phenomena during their Moon missions, with Aldrin describing a “fairly bright light source” and Bean seeing particles and flashes of light “sailing off in space”.
UFO Sightings Revealed
The files also include audio recordings, video clips, and interviews with individuals who claim to have witnessed UFOs. One audio recording from the 1965 Gemini 7 space flight features astronaut Frank Borman reporting a sighting of an unidentified object to NASA mission control. The files also include video clips taken by the US military in the Middle East, showing “unresolved unidentified anomalous phenomenon”.
Among the reports released are dozens of individual claims of sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena, including a man who told the FBI in 1957 that he had witnessed a large, circular vehicle rising over the ground. There are also interviews from 2023 in which US citizens report hovering metal objects materializing out of bright light.
Reactions and Implications
Congressman Tim Burchett and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna welcomed the Pentagon’s release of the files, calling it a “great start” and a “massive first step in the right direction”, respectively. However, former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the release, saying it was a distraction from more pressing issues facing Americans.
The release of the UFO files is part of a broader effort by the US government to increase transparency on the issue, following renewed public interest in extraterrestrial life in recent years. The Pentagon has promised to release more files in the future, and Congress has held hearings on the topic.
